About Llanwern

Llanwern, when translated from Welsh, means "the church on marshy ground".

We are a small village, comprising some 160 houses, with a population of approximately 350 people. The village lies at the northerly edge of the Caldicot Levels, which were reclaimed from the sea by the Romans who built a sea wall and dug drainage ditches known locally as reens.

Reputedly, the Monks from Goldcliff Priory were responsible for digging the large drainage ditch from Wentwood in the north to the Bristol Channel in the south, to combat flooding. This large reen, known locally as "Monks Ditch", is still vitally important today for that very same purpose.